Red, gold and green: microbial contribution of Rhodophyta and other Algae to Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Gut Microbiome

The fitness of the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) may be strongly affected by its gut microbiome, as microbes play important roles in host nutrition and health. This study aimed at establishing environmental microbial baselines that can be used to assess turtle health under altered future conditions. We characterized the microbiome associated with the gastrointestinal tract of green turtles from Guinea Bissau in different life stages and associated with their food items, using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We found that the most abundant (% relative abundance) bacterial phyla across the gastrointestinal sections were Proteobacteria (68.1 ± 13.9% “amplicon sequence variants”, ASVs), Bacteroidetes (15.1 ± 10.1%) and Firmicutes (14.7 ± 21.7%). Additionally, we found the presence of two red algae bacterial indicator ASVs (the Alphaproteobacteria Brucella pinnipedialis with 75 ± 0% and a Gammaproteobacteria identified as methanotrophic endosymbiont of Bathymodiolus, with <1%) in cloacal compartments, along with six bacterial ASVs shared only between cloacal and local environmental red algae samples. We corroborate previous results demonstrating that green turtles fed on red algae (but, to a lower extent, also seagrass and brown algae), thus, acquiring microbial components that potentially aid them digest these food items. This study is a foundation for better understanding the microbial composition of sea turtle digestive tracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Red, Gold and Green: Microbial Contribution of Rhodophyta and Other Algae to Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Gut Microbiome

The fitness of the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) may be strongly affected by its gut microbiome, as microbes play important roles in host nutrition and health. This study aimed at establishing environmental microbial baselines that can be used to assess turtle health under altered future conditions. We characterized the microbiome associated with the gastrointestinal tract of green turtles from Guinea Bissau in different life stages and associated with their food items, using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We found that the most abundant (% relative abundance) bacterial phyla across the gastrointestinal sections were Proteobacteria (68.1 ± 13.9% “amplicon sequence variants”, ASVs), Bacteroidetes (15.1 ± 10.1%) and Firmicutes (14.7 ± 21.7%). Additionally, we found the presence of two red algae bacterial indicator ASVs (the Alphaproteobacteria Brucella pinnipedialis with 75 ± 0% and a Gammaproteobacteria identified as methanotrophic endosymbiont of Bathymodiolus, with <1%) in cloacal compartments, along with six bacterial ASVs shared only between cloacal and local environmental red algae samples. We corroborate previous results demonstrating that green turtles fed on red algae (but, to a lower extent, also seagrass and brown algae), thus, acquiring microbial components that potentially aid them digest these food items. This study is a foundation for better understanding the microbial composition of sea turtle digestive tracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Insolvency judges meet strategic behaviour: A comparative empirical study

This article reports the results of a comparative empirical legal study that analyzed (1) strategic behaviour by actors in insolvencies that is salient to insolvency judges and (2) how insolvency judges respond to such behaviour. After examining four different European countries, namely Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal, the study reveals how differences regarding case allocation, judge – insolvency practitioner (IP) interaction, and remuneration and case financing can result in strategic behaviour on both the side of the judges and the IPs. From this, it follows that improving the efficiency and effectiveness is not merely a matter of implementing legislation and case law, but that it also requires a look into the dynamics between insolvency judges, IPs, and other actors in the insolvency process

Degradação do etileoglicol por meio de um sistema foto-fenton heterogêne

This work describes the ethylene glycol degradation in a photo-Fenton heterogeneous system. Iron-doped TiO2 photocatalysts prepared by different methods (incipient wet impregnation and sol-gel method), as well as the corresponding un-doped material were examined in this process. Different values of initial pH and H2O2 concentration were tested during the experiments. A lower photoactivity was observed for the un-doped materials than for the Fe-doped materials. Optimum results of initial pH and H2O2 concentrations were found to be 3.0 and 1,000 mg/L, respectively.&nbsp; Furthermore, the highest degradation percentage of ethylene glycol (61 %) was achieved for the material synthetized by sol-gel method. Such catalytic performance is explained on the basis of structural/morphological and electronic characterization results, reached by XRD, UV-vis DRS and XPS techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report related with the ethylene glycol degradation using Iron-doped TiO2 in a photo-Fenton heterogeneous system.Este trabajo describe la degradación de etilenglicol en un sistema foto-Fenton heterogéneo. Se evaluó la actividad fotocatalítica de materiales sin dopar y dopados con Fe, preparados por los métodos sol-gel e impregnación húmedaincipiente. Los ensayos se llevaron a cabo a diferentes valores iniciales de pH y concentración de H2O2. La fotoactividad de los materiales no dopados fue menor que la obtenida con aquellos dopados con Fe. Los valores óptimos para el pH y la concentración de H2O2 fueron 3,0 y 1.000 mg/L, respectivamente. El mayor porcentaje de degradación de etilenglicol (61 %) se logró con el material sintetizado por el método sol-gel. Dicho desempeño fotocatalítico se explicó con base en los resultados de caracterización estructural, morfológica y electrónica obtenidos por XRD, UV-vis DRX y XPS. De acuerdo con nuestro mejor conocimiento, este es el primer reporte relacionado con la degradación de etilenglicol usando TiO2 dopado con Fe en un sistema foto Fenton heterogéneo.Este trabalho descreve a degradação do etilenoglicol em um sistema foto-Fenton heterogêneo. Fotocatalisadores de TiO2 dopados com ferro e preparados por diferentes métodos (impregnação incipiente do ponto úmido e método sol-gel), assim como o material não dopado correspondente foram examinados nesse processo. Diferentes valores iniciais de pH e de concentração de H2O2 foram testados durantes os experimentos. Uma fotoatividade mais baixa foi observada para os materiais não dopados em comparação aos materiais dopados de ferro. Os resultados ideais iniciais de pH e de concentração de H2O2 encontrados foram 3,0 e 1000 mg/L, respectivamente. Além disso, o percentual de degradação mais alto de etilenoglicol (61 %) foi alcançado para o material sintetizado pelo método sol-gel. Tal desempenho catalítico é explicado com base em resultados de caracterização estrutural/morfológica e eletrônica, alcançados por técnicas de XRD, UV-vis DRS e XPS. Dentro do nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro relatório com respeito à degradação do etilenoglicol com uso de TiO2 dopado de ferro em um sistema foto-Fenton heterogêneo

Public sector transparency through online press rooms. Management of collective resources and information on city websites of Castile and León, Spain

This research focuses on the transparency of the public websites of the main cities of the region of Castilla y Leon (Spain). Taking as a sample the 24 towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants, this article presents the results related to management and information about the collective resources and the issues concerning the online press room. Using a fully proven methodology developed by a larger project titled Infoparticipa Map, a particularly relevant group of results are achieved. On the one hand, information about the composition of the governing bodies is widely available, with differences between the most and least populated towns. But on the other hand, the performance of municipal power in the region is focused on the publication of general news and concession

COVID-19: novas sociabilidades, configurações sociopolíticas, dilemas e respostas. Uma introdução

A pandemia da COVID-19 constituiu um momento de rutura nas sociedades contemporâneas, gerando um “novo normal” em que, como nos lembra Sérgio Godinho, “Ninguém sabe se sabe / Nem que acaso ou que destino nos cabe”.1 A rápida propagação de um novo vírus respiratório tornou-se o foco de atenção de governos e da comunicação social a nível global. No início de 2020, a cidade chinesa de Wuhan assumiu contornos distópicos, com mais de 11 milhões de habitantes confrontados com a suspensão das suas vidas quotidianas. Perante o desconhecimento acerca de uma doença que aparentava ter tanto taxas de letalidade como de transmissão bastante superiores aos vírus respiratórios em circulação, o confinamento assumiu-se como a resposta sociopolítica a adotar

Use of eltrombopag for patients 65 years old or older with immune thrombocytopenia

Background Eltrombopag is useful for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, results of clinical trials may not accurately mirror clinical practice reality. Here we evaluated eltrombopag for primary and secondary ITP in our ≥65‐year‐old population. Methods A total of 106 primary ITP patients (16 with newly diagnosed ITP, 16 with persistent ITP, and 74 with chronic ITP) and 39 secondary ITP patients (20 with ITP secondary to immune disorders, 7 with ITP secondary to infectious diseases, and 12 with ITP secondary to lymphoproliferative disorders [LPD]) were retrospectively evaluated. Results Median age of our cohort was 76 (interquartile range, IQR, 70‐81) years. 75.9% of patients yielded a platelet response including 66.2% complete responders. Median time to platelet response was 14 (IQR, 8‐21) days. Median time on response was 320 (IQR, 147‐526) days. Sixty‐three adverse events (AEs), mainly grade 1‐2, occurred. The most common were hepatobiliary laboratory abnormalities (HBLAs) and headaches. One transient ischemic attack in a newly diagnosed ITP and two self‐limited pulmonary embolisms in secondary ITP were the only thrombotic events observed. Conclusion Eltrombopag showed efficacy and safety in ITP patients aged ≥65 years with primary and secondary ITP. However, efficacy results in LPD‐ITP were poor. A relatively high number of deaths were observed